


A Little Fun in the Sun

by turtlegrain



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Beach Volleyball, Best Friends, Day At The Beach, Family Bonding, Fluff, M/M, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, Tsukishima Kei-centric, Yamaguchi being cute, everyone bullies tsukki, idk how to tag, they share a very emotionally charged hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtlegrain/pseuds/turtlegrain
Summary: When his mother first told him about her "Akiteru’s Graduating from College Celebration Beach Visit”, Kei was adamant about not going. After all, beaches were the last place he would ever want to be, especially on a Saturday when he could be at home, snuggled in bed, watching the latest Jurassic Park sequel for the fifth time. He remembers a vague protest about not liking the beach (even though he’s never gone before), before his mother cut him off with a question.“How about we invite Tadashi? Then it wouldn’t be so bad for you, right Kei?"
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

When his mother first told him about her "Akiteru’s Graduating from College Celebration Beach Visit”, Kei was adamant about not going. After all, beaches were the last place he would ever want to be, especially on a Saturday when he could be at home, snuggled in bed, watching the latest Jurassic Park sequel for the fifth time. He remembers a vague protest about not liking the beach (even though he’s never gone before), before his mother cut him off with a question. 

“How about we invite Tadashi? Then it wouldn’t be so bad for you, right Kei? Akiteru’s inviting a couple friends as well, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind Yamaguchi coming along” His mother had presented him with the proposition, and he found himself relenting. He didn’t want to admit it, but going with Yamaguchi had suddenly made the trip seem like not a bad idea after all. 

“Okay, fine.” 

______

When he suggests the idea to Yamaguchi during lunch, the boy practically jumps up and squeals. It’s a good thing they’re sitting outside, since Yamaguchi’s loud voice would have probably carried itself down the hallway. 

“Yes, Tsukki! I woulf very muh love to comf wifh you!” Yamaguchi forgets to swallow the rest of his onigiri before he replies, something that he does quite often when he gets overwhelmed with excitement. Kei has the foresight to look away as pieces of rice drop from the boy’s mouth, offering his napkin in response and grimacing at the sight. 

“There’s rice on your face.”

“Oh. haha. I got too excited again.” Yamaguchi sheepishly covers his mouth and wipes at his chin. “Did I get it?” 

“Yeah. Wait, no. Over here.” Kei points a spot on the corner of his own chin, where a bit of seaweed dots the boy’s face. He grins when Yamaguchi hands him back the napkin.

“Geez, you’re even messier than Hinata.”

“Hey! At least I wiped it all off! Not like someone who wears the same sweaty uniform for two weeks!”

“Okay, Okay. Shut up, Yamaguchi” Kei rolls his eyes again, used to his friend’s jabs at his laundry habits.

“Sorry Tsukki.” Yamaguchi laughs, finding Kei’s reaction extremely hilarious, and Kei can’t help but chuckle along too. 

“Anyways,” Yamaguchi collects himself and furrows his brows, deep in concentration, “we should probably make a list, like, what we’re gonna pack and stuff.”

They spend the rest of lunch period planning out things to pack, though it’s mostly Yamaguchi who eagerly scribbles down anything that comes to mind (the list is expansive and Yamaguchi even includes a tub of strawberry ice cream in the mix.)

________

Yamaguchi, as usual, answers the doorbell on the first ring. His neon green swim shorts clash startlingly against his bright yellow shirt. Despite Kei’s efforts to convince him that saturated colors do not go well together, he still insists on wearing them. 

“You look like a highlighter pen.”

“Tsukki, that’s the first thing you say to me after not seeing me for thirteen hours?” Yamaguchi pouts, opening the door wider as he escorts Kei inside. 

“Okay, hi Yamaguchi. I haven’t seen you for thirteen hours and you look like a highlighter pen.”

“Hi Tsukki, I happen to like this shirt very much. Even if you say I look like a highlighter.” Yamaguchi giggles as the pair of them make way to his room. Kei grins, glad that his mother had suggested he visit his friend’s house before they depart. 

They sit side by side on Yamaguchi’s small twin size bed, crammed into the corner of the boy’s small bedroom. Kei has always liked visiting Yamaguchi’s room, on the few occasions that he does. It’s not often that he gets to visit, since Yamaguchi’s parents are usually busy working.

“Okay, so I have packed absolutely everything on the list, and also extra things, like strawberry pocky, some extra goggles, these socks, oh and i forgot to tell you but I got akiteru a graduation present!” Yamaguchi sifts through the rather hefty duffle bag in front of him and pulls out a medium-sized box, carefully enfolded in strawberry print gift wrapping. 

“What is it?” Kei edges closer and eyes the scribbly handwriting on the tag.

“A surprise.” Yamaguchi pulls the gift away as Kei attempts to reach for it.

“It’s not even my gift, though. I’m not gonna tell Akiteru or anything.”

“That’s true, but I want it to be a surprise for you too.” Yamaguchi stuffs the present back into his bag amid Kei’s glares. 

“Awww, you don’t have to be sad about this tsukki. Don’t forget that we’re gonna be going to the beach for the first time.”

“I didn’t forget-”

“-Oh and we can go swimming together and build sandcastles!”

“Okay-

“-Oh my god and playing volleyball at the beach!”

“I thought this was supposed to be a brea-

“-Ahhh Tsukki! I’m so excited!” 

Yamaguchi falls back onto the blankets behind him. He laughs, clear and bright, eyes crinkling into little half moons. 

Kei rolls his eyes as he slumps against the pillows on Yamaguchi’s bed. The boy’s laughter spills into his insides like warm syrup. He’s excited for the trip, but he’s sure it isn’t for the same reasons as Yamaguchi. 

_____

At noon, Kei’s mother comes to pick them both up. Akiteru attempts to lift Yamaguchi off the ground as he envelops the boy in a bear hug.

“Tadashi, you just keep getting taller!” Akiteru laughs.

“Akiteru-san, I’m gonna be taller than you someday!” Yamaguchi grins, his feet barely scraping the driveway

“Oh? Is that a challenge? Then I’ll work even harder!” Akiteru sets the boy back on the ground and pats his head. Kei feels the second hand embarrassment hit him like a tide. 

“Nii-chan, you’re 23. You’ve reached the peak of your height already.” Kei mutters, loading his and Yamaguchi’s bags onto the trunk.

His response earns him a light thunk on the back of his head, and more laughter from Yamaguchi. 

“Ahh, Kei. Always looking on the negative side. What will I do about my poor little brother. My only hope is that someday Tadashi will win you over to the side of positivity.” Akiteru sighs dramatically, giving Yamaguchi a wink. 

“What a tragedy.” Kei deadpans, which earns another round of enthusiastic giggling from Yamaguchi.


	2. Chapter 2

The car ride to Tsukihama beach is filled with excited chattering (Yamaguchi rambles on excitedly about their various plans once they get there) and the off-tune melodies of Akiteru and Yamaguchi singing along to the radio. Kei hums quietly, focusing his attention to the scenery outside his window, absentmindedly gazing at the dark green mountain passes that slowly merge into flat, grassy hills and sunny abodes. Glimpses of their inhabitants whizz past his view. A woman takes out a bedsheet to dry, a farm worker kneels down to sprinkle seeds into the soil, an orange-brown cat lounges on the tip of a rooftop. Kei feels the normality of the vignettes heighten in his mind, registering with a certain calm. He feels safe in it, complacent, even, but then, what other possibilities could lay outside the confines of routine? 

His train of thought is interrupted by an insistent tug on his arm and a loud shout.  
“Look, Tsukki! The beach!” Yamaguchi directs Kei’s attention towards the opposite window, and sure enough, the white glistening of sand appears in view. Glittery specks of sunlight reflect along the ocean waves, and Kei adjusts his glasses for a better look.

“Oh. Are we already here?” Kei wonders, a hint of enthusiasm barely tinging his voice. 

Akiteru answers with a resonant “yes!” as Yamaguchi claps his hands excitedly. Kei’s mother grins and reminds them to put on sunscreen.

Stepping out of the car, Kei is nearly blinded by how sunny it is. In the parking lot next to the beach, the hazy sounds of seagulls and ocean waves carry through the breeze. Tufts of grass peek through the cracks beneath the asphalt as palm fronds flutter lazily under a bright cerulean sky. Smells of salty ocean water and early afternoon yakiniku make way to their small group, currently led by Kei’s mother, who instructs Akiteru and Kei to unpack their belongings from the trunk.

“Well, Kei, you’d still rather be at home?” His mother gives him a tight squeeze on the shoulder and a smile. He realizes that his emotions are probably an open book right now, and he scowls, as if on instinct, something to hide his awed state.

“I never said I’d rather be at home, mom.” Kei answers, adjusting his glasses. 

“Okay, okay, my son doesn’t want to admit it when he likes something.” His mother grins, handing him a rather heavy duffle bag as she instructs Akiteru where to set up their things. 

“Mom, it’s just a trip to the beach, what’s there to like about it?” He huffs, positioning the bag straps onto his shoulder. Their trip is just for a few hours anyways, then he’ll be back to volleyball practices and mundane homework assignments in no time. Maybe he’ll have fun, be relaxed for a bit, but then it isn’t like he has to act all excited like everyone else is. He’s always been more reserved about his feelings to people, hiding them behind a carefully constructed wall of sarcasm and snide remarks. To most people, that is, with the only exception being Yamaguchi, of course. It’s easy to let the walls slide down, just a little, when he’s with his best friend. It’s just the natural thing to do, and Kei isn’t too bothered by it.

“Tsukki! Turn around for a sec!” Yamaguchi holds up his phone, peering at him with an expectant smile.

Kei turns around, already used to his friend’s current photography obsession. Walking home from school, Yamaguchi will stop to take pictures of the pretty orange-pink sunset, he’ll be peering out from the classroom windows, snapping a photo of the early morning horizon, and on some occasions, when Yamaguchi decides he’s had enough of landscapes, he’ll take pictures of Kei. It caught him off guard, at first, when he’d turn around and see his best friend observing him through his phone camera, and then click! his image immortalized in a “candid,” as Yamaguchi calls it. Afterwards, Kei would ask to see the picture and grimace a little because of his likeness, but he doesn’t say anything else, maybe a cursory, “oh”, or a slightly more encouraging, “cool.” He doesn’t know what to say, because he feels like the pictures are always missing something.

“Okay, there!” Yamaguchi gives him a thumbs up and snaps a photo. 

“Did you get it yet?” 

“Yes, yes! And it's a really nice picture, Tsukki. Wanna see?”

“You can show me on the car when we drive back. We gotta catch up to my mom and Akiteru.”  
Sure enough, the pair have already made their way past the boardwalk and onto the grassy sand dunes beyond the parking lot. 

Kei and Yamaguchi decide to fast walk a little, stumbling across the sand coated planks towards the beach. 

Yamaguchi keeps pace beside him, like they’ve always done. 

They set up their tent a little ways out from the shoreline and under a dense cluster of trees. Just the right amount of shade and sun. The beach isn’t very crowded today, and the few visitors that flock to it are mostly sedentary older couples who lounge underneath brightly-colored umbrellas, sleeping. Kei decides that it would probably be worse if there were too many people. He doesn’t like crowds. He finds them irritating and noisy, qualities that can only be drowned out by his noise-cancelling headphones, which he didn’t pack today, since anything as small as a drop of water would probably risk damaging them.

Yamaguchi pulls out a bottle of sunscreen and helps Kei smooth it onto his back. Kei does the same for his best friend and Akiteru, who smacks him in the head when he makes a show of squatting down to reach his older brother’s height. 

“Stop mocking me, Kei, you’ll be sorry when our team beats you in beach volleyball.” Akiteru huffs. 

“Oh, is that a threat?” Kei questions loudly, enough for Yamaguchi to immediately reply back with an enthusiastic “Tsukki and I won’t lose to you, Akiteru-san!” Kei grins, enjoying the support his partner-in-crime gives him. 

It turns out maybe Akiteru’s declaration might have been valid after all. His brother introduces them to his friends, Tenma and Kosei, whose face Kei vaguely remembers from the few times he’s visited Akiteru’s college apartment. Tenma, one of Akiteru’s friends since high school, is fairly short, and wears a long sleeved hoodie and sweatpants, despite the sweltering hot weather. Kosei, on the other hand, comes prepared, outfitted in clothes that look like they could belong in a summer campaign for Polo.

They find a long expanse of flat sand, and a single tattered volleyball net, probably an effort to revitalize the beach at one point, but now disregarded, as most of the vacationers don’t seem like the athletic type. 

They split up teams, Tenma and Akiteru pairing up while Kosei watches on the sidelines, helping keep score with Kei’s mother and act as referee.

“Alright, start!” Kosei blows a whistle, and it’s Kei’s serve.

He tries out a new jump serve he’s been practicing lately, a change from his old get-it-over-the-net serve after seeing his teammates putting their all into the game, though he can’t say most of the decision wasn’t prompted by witnessing Yamaguchi’s persistence in improving his own jump floaters. It’s still rusty, but he’s confident he can make it, and seeing Yamaguchi with him, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his mind feels sharper than ever.

Kei hears Yamaguchi calling out a “nice serve, Tsukki!”, and then he leaps. The ball hits his palm squarely, and is received by Tenma on the other side, who, surprisingly, makes a near perfect toss to Akiteru. He slams the ball down in broad spike, but it’s out of bounds.

“Aw man! I thought for sure it was gonna go in! I’m so sorry Tenma!” Akiteru wails at his teammate, who reassures him with a confident, “we’ll get the next one.”

And they do. Kei’s serve is received this time by Akiteru, who tosses it to Tenma, a bit too high for his height. But then, Tenma, who doesn’t seem like he’d have it in him at all, manages to jump high enough to spike, his arm pulled back in a right angle position, before he launches it, slamming down the ball with an intensity that feels familiar to Kei. 

The next few points are a hard-won back and forth battle, where Kei’s persistent blocks manage to shut out a few of Tenma’s powerful spikes, only to be saved by Akiteru’s constant digs. The rhythm reaches a change at 3-3, when it’s Yamaguchi’s turn to serve and he scores a few service aces. It’s a turning point, and Kei rides the momentum that his partner affords him, blocking out some of Akiteru’s spikes and managing to hit a service ace of his own.

“Doesn’t he remind you of someone?” Kei asks Yamaguchi during a break. They sit facing away from the sun, leaning against the grassy dunes while their toes sink into the soft sand. 

“You mean Tenma-san?” Yamaguchi looks over to the other side at Akiteru’s overdressed teammate, currently trying to explain the rules of volleyball to his other friend. Nearby, Kei’s mother spots his glance and gives him a small wave before going back into her book.

“Yeah. The way his form is...it’s kind of like…” Kei can’t quite put his finger to it, but he remembers something about-

“Hinata?” Yamaguchi interrupts his thoughts.

“Yeah.”

“Wait, you don’t know, Tsukki? Tenma used to be the Little Giant, back in Karasuno.” Yamaguchi explains.

“Oh. I see now. I didn’t know that.”

“Don’t you think it’s so cool? The way he hits the ball and it’s like all woosh! and baam!” Yamaguchi does an imaginary spike, and Kei ducks to prevent his head from getting smacked again.

“Scary.” Kei mutters, hearing Hinata’s unusual onomatopoeias repeated by his best friend.

“How is that scary? I think Tenma-san’s spikes are so amazing.”

“No, I mean you’ve been spending so much time with Hinata that you’re picking up his vocabulary,” Kei adds “or lack of vocabulary.”

“Awww, Tsukki, you wish I spent more time with you instead? Are you jealous?” Yamaguchi teases, freckles scrunching up his face as he smiles. 

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.” Kei kicks his heel, flicking sand onto Yamaguchi’s leg.

“Sorry, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi answers, laughing, as he does the same to Kei.


	3. Chapter 3

They play a few more points, with Akiteru managing to score a blockout on Kei, who shoots his brother with an annoyed glare. Akiteru responds with a flippant two-finger peace sign. A few points later, Yamaguchi spikes a cut shot down the left and the score evens out again, just as Tenma makes a surprising receive that Kei barely misses. 

The next round has Kei and Yamaguchi on the sunny side, and during the break, Yamaguchi pulls out a brand new set of bright orange sports sunglasses from his bag. The glasses slide to fit snugly over Yamaguchi’s eyes, tugging a few stray bangs with it. Kei reaches a hand to the tufts of hair and gently tugs them out. 

“So, how do I look, Tsukki? Do I look like Kamina from Gurren Lagann now?” Yamaguchi strikes a pose, hands on hips and chest puffed out in overblown confidence. He turns to face Kei, attempting to pull his mouth in his best trademark Kamina grin, except it’s Yamaguchi, and he can’t keep a straight face.

“Yes, very convincing. I can’t even tell whether I’m talking to Yamaguchi or Kamina anymore” Kei snickers, before bowling over in laughter when Yamaguchi gives him an exasperated “Tsukki!”

“Wait, wait, do the pose again I wanna take a picture.” Kei pulls out his phone as Yamaguchi recreates the pose he was doing earlier.

“Like this? Or -I know!- What about this one?” Yamaguchi pumps his fist in the air, doing his best ‘Yours is the Drill That Will Pierce the Heavens!’ pose. He opens his mouth in a wide grin, all bravado and boldness. 

Kei taps the camera button, sentiment tugging in the bottom of his chest. He can’t quite pinpoint the feeling, a mix of admiration and pride at the way Yamaguchi has become more sure of himself. So different from the boy he’d met in elementary school, who would hide behind Kei whenever the classroom bullies went near him. 

“Yo! Kei!”  
Akiteru’s peace sign pops into the camera frame as he shoves himself into the next few pictures, dragging along Tenma and Kosei along with him, who both give apologetic glances to Yamaguchi’s excited grin.

“Are you taking pictures without us? Even at your own beloved nii-chan’s graduation party?” Akiteru pouts, slinging his arms around the group and sticking his tongue out in a cheeky gesture. 

“Yes, _especially_ at his graduation party.” Kei mutters, cringing. Akiteru is an adult now, but sometimes Kei feels like the older sibling. He snaps a few photos of the four, making sure to click the shutter at his brother’s most embarrassing facial expressions. 

After Yamaguchi manages to extricate himself from the arms of Kei’s overly enthusiastic brother, they play a few more points. It’s a hard back and forth, and the environmental conditions outside do nothing to lessen the exhaustion. Pretty soon, the afternoon sun reaches its peak and glares down at them with a forceful intensity. Kei feels his breaths go ragged, and Yamaguchi’s movements slow down, feet sinking further into the sand with every step. The other side is no better, and Tenma has resolved to suffer the rest of the hot weather even with his long sleeved hoodie on, despite Akiteru’s repeated inquiries on his attire. 

They reach a deuce, with neither side willing to back down. Then, it's nearly a match point for their team when Kei finds himself diving for the receive. But the fatigue in his calves betrays him, and his fingers barely touch the ball before he careens into the sand, face first.

Thankfully, the ground isn’t like the hard volleyball courts in school, or he probably would have hurt his elbows more. But that doesn’t stop him from feeling the overwhelming shame resulting from his own lack of endurance. He grits his teeth, annoyed that his stamina has given out on him. He should have put more effort into the drills, the running, the push-ups, and it's embarrassing that _he_ should be the first to collapse. Kei pulls himself to a sitting position and clenches his fist in the sand, feeling the grains dig into his palm and creating little indents. 

Yamaguchi is hurrying over to him, and he sees Akiteru on the other side cast him a worried glance. 

“Tsukki! Are you okay? Do you want to take a break?” Yamaguchi crouches next to him, hand gently smoothing over his shoulder. Kei is sweaty all over, but Yamaguchi doesn’t seem to mind, bringing the back of his hand to Kei’s forehead to check for fever. At his touch, Kei feels his fists start to unclench slowly, relaxing a bit as his breathing evens out. The irritation subsides, and he feels calmer now. He lets out an exhale.

“It doesn't look like you have a fever, but maybe we should rest first.” Yamaguchi continues, looking at Kei with a worried expression. “The game is  
“No, no it’s okay. I can--I want to keep playing.”

“Are you sure? You look pretty tired, Tsukki.”

“I was. But not anymore.” Kei stands up, already feeling the lightness settling into his legs again. He helps Yamaguchi to his feet, grasping the boy’s hands with a firm grip. 

Kei feels different now, and a sudden, desperate desire to win overtakes him. Maybe it's the way Yamaguchi holds his hand in a steady pressure, or the way the ocean breeze seems to tug him closer to the net, but all he knows is that he doesn’t want to lose. 

“Let’s make my brother regret ever playing volleyball.” Kei grins, flashing his teeth in a pointed smirk. 

Yamaguchi’s eyes widen, and then he’s grinning too, squeezing Kei’s fingers tightly.

“Let’s do it, Tsukki.”

And in that moment, just for a second, Kei feels invincible.

During tournament matches--usually after the third set, there is always a point at which the ball seems to be moving in slow motion, Kei can see the blockers before they make their jump, the split second of time before the ball makes contact with his hands expands to infinity. Hyperawareness and intuition mix with experience and instinct. The court is a rectangle of players in a board game and he is the game-master. 

Kei doesn’t have a name for this feeling, but he’s sure it’s coming back to him now, in the final match point against Akiteru and Tenma. He feels lighter than ever, feet skimming past the silky sand, diving for the ball as if he’s the libero, receiver, and ace. 

Yamaguchi serves, a jump floater that Akiteru barely manages to receive.

The ball soars, it’s trajectory a little ways too left, too high, but Kei doesn’t need to think. He jumps up in the sand and blocks the ball in a one handed slide hit. 

Their team wins, and Kei finally lets his muscles relax, plopping down onto the sand, forearm covering his eyes from the blinding sun. He feels a nudge on his shoulder, and peeks through his arms to see Yamaguchi settling next to him, breathing hard from exhaustion.

Kei holds out a fist, and Yamaguchi bumps it with his own.

__________

Kei wishes he could relish in his brother’s look of utter defeat, but--to his annoyance--Akiteru doesn’t seem to mind losing at all.

“That’s my little brother! I can’t believe you did it! That last block was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Akiteru heartily claps Kei on the back, a gesture that almost causes him to choke on his ramune drink mid sip.

The group lounges under the shade of a large tree, sipping on cold drinks that Kei’s mother had packed. In the distance, Tenma teaches Kosei how to pass a volleyball, though it seems like the former ace of Karasuno is having a harder time teaching volleyball than playing. 

Yamaguchi leans against Kei, mouth slightly agape. A bit of drool coats his chin onto Kei’s shoulder, but he doesn’t mind. In fact, Kei feels as comfortable as ever. 

“Nii-chan, you’re supposed to be more upset about losing.” Kei shoots back, doing his best to give his brother the hardest glare possible.

“What, I can’t be proud of you and little Tadashi? Awww, am I embarrassing you?” Akiteru gives Kei another pat on the back, and Kei barely has time to move his lemon-lime drink out of the way.

“Ow. Yes you are so embarrassing.”

“Haha. You bet I’ll be even more embarrassing at your practice match next week.” Akiteru answers, smug.

“You what? You’re coming to our practice match?” Kei is incredulous, and he nearly spits out what was left of his soda. 

“Yup. I’m off work that day. Plus, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to see the sword and shield combo in action.” Akiteru grins. 

“Oh my god, nii-chan…” Kei groans.

Beside him, Yamaguchi lifts his eyelids awake. 

“Akiteru-san, you’re gonna watch us play with Nekoma?”

“That’s right. I’ll be cheering for you from the stands.” Akiteru gives Yamaguchi a thumbs up before he rises on his feet to join Tenma and Kosei, who have progressed to overhand passes. 

Kei turns to his best friend, who is now, apparently, conscious. 

“Yamaguchi, you were awake the whole time?” 

“Sorry Tsukki, I just wanted an excuse to lay on your shoulder.” Yamaguchi answers apologetically. 

“Oh.” 

“So, can I? Lay on your shoulder, I mean.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure, I guess.” 

Yamaguchi rests his head back onto Kei’s shoulder, only to drift off to sleep after a few minutes. 

Kei feels his face growing hot, though he’s not sure if it’s because of the sunny weather or some other nameless feeling. He thinks back to the countless times they’ve shared blankets on long bus rides, or slept together in the same bed during sleepovers, the incidents entirely mundane and natural. 

But now, things feel slightly different, because he finds himself looking forward to moments like these, not wanting to let go. _Is it because I’ve changed? Or could it be..._

There’s a knot tugging in the pit of Kei’s stomach, and it fills his chest like a balloon, threatening to burst at any moment.


	4. Chapter 4

“Akiteru-san’s graduation feels like it happened so fast.” 

Yamaguchi and Kei amble together along the shoreline, shoulders brushing in the familiar way of walking home. 

The tides lap against their bare feet. Kei feels the simmering late afternoon sun through the thin cloth of his t-shirt. It’s slightly windy, and Yamaguchi’s bangs blow haphazardly against his eyes. 

“Well, the graduation celebration isn’t over yet.” Kei directs his gaze to the rest of his family, currently engrossed in building a sandcastle, though it’s mostly Tenma leading the entire project.

“No,I mean like, Akiteru-san is all _adult_ now. It’s like one minute he’s the cool high schooler and then suddenly he’s graduating from college and everything. When I think about it, it all feels kind of...sad” There’s a wistfulness to his tone, a bit of melancholiness to it. 

“Hm.”

Yamaguchi tucks a strand of hair behind his ears, tilting his head to look at Kei. “How about you, Tsukki? How do you feel about it?”

Kei is not the type of person to be sentimental. He pushes intense feelings to the dark recesses of his mind whenever they threaten to take over. Lately, though, these feelings find their way into Kei’s quietly _normal_ thoughts, and he doesn’t know how to process them. 

The third years had graduated, and now Akiteru was moving onto a new stage in his life. Soon, he would graduate with the rest of the first years, and then what? Would they still keep in contact? Would he still have Yamaguchi by his side? 

The speed at which everything around Kei seemed to change was frightening. 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Kei replies slowly. “I try not to think about it most of the time.” 

“Why? Does it also make you sad? Graduating and stuff like that.” 

“Yeah it does.” Kei admits, “and a bit scared too.”

Kei wonders whether he said too much. But Yamaguchi is the last person he would hold back from. 

He squats down, running his hands through the sand. The soft grains settle in his palm before sinking between his fingers like an hourglass. There is a moment where neither Kei nor Yamaguchi says anything, and the gentle lull of ocean waves colliding against the shore crescendos into a loud roar. 

Yamaguchi sits next to Kei, hugging his knees close to his chest. 

“What are you scared of?” Yamaguchi asks, raising his voice above the crashing tide. It’s almost a shout, the volume at which he cheers from the sidelines during the match. But to Kei, the words feel distant and far away, faint, even.

Kei thinks that if Yamaguchi had asked him that question a year ago, he probably would have scoffed and said something coldly sarcastic. An exasperated roll of the eyes and a shut up, Yamaguchi. It would be easy to say the words and quickly forget the conversation. Smooth over the little wrinkles in their friendship and keep him a little more than arm’s length away. 

But lately, on rare occasions like now, Kei finds himself questioning his old habits as they resurface. And, as if on command, the sun emerges from behind the clouds, baring insistently on his back. _What are you scared of? What frightens you?_ It seems to ask.

_I’m scared of losing my best friend. I’m scared of being left behind by him when he finds someone new. I’m scared of the look in his eyes when he catches me staring. I’m scared of-_

“Just the graduation stuff, I guess.” Kei replies lamely. He stands up, brushing the sand off his pants. 

In the corner of his eyes, sees Yamaguchi looking up at him, a quizzical look of invitation. What else? Anything about me? His expression seems to ask. 

“Yeah, same.” Yamaguchi replies finally. 

The sun drifts behind a cloud again, and Kei feels the heat dissipate from his shoulders, but the balloon in his chest remains. 

_____

Kei sits on Yamaguchi’s bed, feet crossed and head leaning against the wall. He shifts to the right slightly, careful not to disturb the photos strewn across Yamaguchi’s ocean blue blankets.

There are lots of them. Yellow orange sunsets with purple cotton candy clouds. A quiet brown cat lounging underneath a flowerpot. Telephone wires that scribble against the sky. And a few of just Kei, some looking towards the camera, eyebrows raised mid-question. A couple of Kei on the court, hands poised for a block, brows furrowed in concentration. And another, a striking picture of Kei backlit against the classroom window, glasses breaking through his silhouette. There is one just of his back, a candid shot that Kei doesn’t remember Yamaguchi taking of him. He doesn’t mind, though. In fact, Kei can’t help but feel slightly _flattered_ that Yamaguchi would consider him a worthy subject for his photography pursuits. 

“The printer at the photography club was almost out of ink, so some of these got super messed up.” Yamaguchi climbs into the bed next to Kei, photos pooling at the dips where he steps. In his hand, there are a couple more photographs. They are more faded than the others, with little stripes of printer ink marking the edges. Yamaguchi hands him a picture of Kei standing next to the chain link fence outside Shimada Mart. It’s sunny, but the haziness of the print makes it look even more so. 

Kei touches the surface of the paper, recalling the way his friend had motioned for him to stop as he whipped out his phone. “Look to the left a bit, Tsukki. Yeah, that’s good!” When Yamaguchi showed him the picture, he couldn’t make out more than the dark poles of the fence, the intense afternoon glare blocking out most of the image. But seeing it now, he’s surprised. 

“They actually look pretty cool like that.” Kei replies, handing the picture back to Yamaguchi. 

“Ohh really? Hmmm, I do like the effect.” Yamaguchi holds the photo up, angling it against the sunlight that streams through the window. “It kind of reminds me of...something like a…” he squints his eyes, searching for the right word.

“A distant memory?” 

“Yeah, Tsukki! That’s it. Like a memory or something. But a little distant and close at the same time. I don’t know if that makes any sense.” 

“It makes sense.” Kei responds quietly, “I know that feeling.”

“Then, do you want it?” Yamaguchi asks him suddenly, holding out the photo. It’s not the first time he’s offered his photos to Kei. Most of the time, Kei refuses. _I’m not narcissistic enough to keep photos of myself_ , he explains. But then, this one is different. Maybe it’s the way a shallow memory flits between the dots of ink when he sees it. Or in the way his friend looks up at him, eyebrows pulled up in proposition. His freckles turn a yellow-gold in the sunlight, and the bangs covering his forehead pull a little to the left. 

Kei doesn’t think he could ever look away. 

“Sure, I guess.” He takes it. Their fingers brush at the contact, and he darts his gaze elsewhere. 

_____

After a few more rounds of cold lemon-lime ramune, failed attempts at pushing Kei into the water (on Akiteru’s part), and a couple more group photos, they say their goodbyes to Tenma and Kosei, who both have morning classes on Monday.  
“Tsukishima-kun, Yamaguchi-kun, I’ll be watching Karasuno at nationals this year.” Tenma says to them before he leaves. 

“That’s if we can beat Shiratorizawa again this year.” Kei responds.

Tenma folds his arms across his chest and smirks. 

“No doubt you will.” 

The confidence at which he says it makes Kei believe him for a second, and he wonders if Hinata saw this in the Little Giant too. 

Tenma waves at them through the passenger window of Kosei’s car, and there are more goodbyes, plans for future meetups, and promises to go drinking together--on Akiteru’s part (which Tenma reluctantly agrees to).

Yamaguchi carefully unwraps the strawberry print that covers his present. It’s neatly taped, with a little bow stuck to the center for good measure.

Akiteru rubs his hands in anticipation, staring intently at the gift before him. Kei shoots his brother a _stop acting like an idiot_ glare, to which his brother smiles pleasantly back. The three of them sit on the floor of Kei’s room, still dressed in their swim trunks from earlier. In the kitchen, Kei hears the hum of his mother cooking dinner. 

“So, um, Akiteru-san. Here’s the present.” Yamaguchi lets the rest of the wrapping fall away to reveal a yellow journal. There is a photo slotted into the center of the cover--a little group photo of Akiteru, Kei, and his mother behind the pink cherry blossoms outside their school. Akiteru loops his arms around the two, smiling, while Kei looks to the side, mouth pressed into a firm line. This was probably taken during the graduation ceremony last year, when Daichi and Asahi and Suga had all gotten their certificates. He doesn’t remember any exact moment from that time. Only that it had been a blur of goodbyes and Suga kept trying to lift him off the ground (he didn’t succeed.) 

Kei hears a loud, “Tadashii!!” and there is a flurry of legs knocking into him as Akiteru pulls Yamaguchi into a hug, his other arm grasping Kei’s collar to draw him in too. Kei ends up being sandwiched between his best friend and his brother, his cheek pressed against Yamaguchi’s freckles. 

“ _Nii-chan_. Please get off-”

“-Thank you for this! I love it so much! Ahh, I was just looking for a journal like this and now I don’t need to go buy one, so thank you, Tadashi!” Akiteru reaches to grab the journal, releasing the three of them from his clutches. He holds it against his chest in a gesture of appreciation.

“You’re very welcome!” Yamaguchi beams, and Kei rolls his eyes. His brother’s excessively dramatic response has at least won _someone_ over. 

“You don’t have to over do it, nii-chan.” Kei says pointedly to Akiteru’s over-reaction. He wonders if Death by Second-Hand Embarrassment is something people write on their tombstones, because that’s exactly what his will say. 

“Aww, Tsukki, don’t be jealous-” Yamaguchi elbows him.

“-I’m not jealous-”

“Then be happy, ‘cause I got you a present too!” Yamaguchi pulls out another box, a smaller one, wrapped in the same strawberry print. 

“You got me a present? It’s not even my birthday or anything, though.” Kei says, surprised. His brother thunks him on the head and gives him a _just be happy and accept the gift_ type of glare before getting up to help his mother with dinner. 

“Well, it doesn’t have to be your birthday for me to give you something, Tsukki. Can’t I just give gifts to my best friend?” 

_Best friend_. The words imprint in Kei’s mind. He gives a small nod of acknowledgement as Yamaguchi hands him the gift. 

A bright yellow ribbon adorns the center, and Kei tugs it out as the wrapping paper falls flat. It’s a little dinosaur figurine on a keychain. A bright green _Brontosaurus_ with wide eyes and stubby legs. He pinches its silicone belly with his fingers and it lets out a barely audible squeak. 

Despite its historical inaccuracies, Kei finds the reptile charm incredibly endearing. 

“So, do you like it, Tsukki?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s…cute.” Kei thinks for a moment before settling on the word. He threads his finger through the chain ring, holding the ornament up to eye level.

“Oh you like it? Ahh I’m glad you do! I picked this one ‘cause I remember you said something about your favorite dinosaur being the bron..bron-toe-saur-is?” Yamaguchi intones each syllable carefully. 

“Brontosaurus. Yeah. I didn’t know you remembered, Yamaguchi.” 

“Of course I remember.” Yamaguchi elbows him playfully. “It’s an important Tsukki Fact. I gotta maintain my position as president of the Tsukki fanclub-” 

“Oh my god, please-”

“I’m being serious, Tsukki. I take my president duties very seriously.” Yamaguchi puffs up his chest. “Did you know your mom sent me this-”

"Yamaguchi-”

“-photo of you as a baby? Wanna see how cute you-”

“No. I don’t want to see it.”

“Are you sure? I mean, the dinosaur onesie you’re wearing is definitely the deal breaker here.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.” Kei mutters, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks.

“Sorry, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi laughs, leaning into Kei’s side. He nudges his cheek to Kei’s shoulder apologetically, and Kei doesn’t complain.

They sit side by side for a while, with Yamaguchi resting his head on Kei’s shoulder. The natural conversation between two friends. 

Kei walks Yamaguchi home, along with the leftover curry from dinner that his mother had insisted he take back with him. 

It’s a little after 9pm, and the sky is nearing dark. Constellations flit across the hazy silhouettes of trees, and the flickering street lamps cast a warm yellow glow onto their faces. Kei takes in the stillness of the night, with all its comforting familiarity. 

It’s a little chilly, and Yamaguchi keeps his hands in his jacket pockets as he excitedly recounts the events of today. Kei nods along, occasionally offering a snide remark or a playful ‘shut up, Yamaguchi.’ It’s very easy to keep in this rhythm, and Kei always feels the most content in moments like this. When it’s just him and Yamaguchi, walking together without another soul to disturb them. 

“So. Thanks for inviting me, Tsukki.” His best friend smiles at him. They linger outside the driveway to Yamaguchi’s house.  
There are things Kei wants to say, tokens of gratitude and missed appreciation. He wants Yamaguchi to know that he is the one who should be saying ‘thank you,’ that the day was infinitely better because his best friend was by his side. That being with Yamaguchi will never be boring. That he wishes he could be better for him. 

Through the window, Kei sees the living room light still turned on, highlighting Yamaguchi’s face in a warm glow. The air between them tingles with an uncertain electricity, and Kei feels overwhelmed with a desire to do something. His heart lurches in his chest, apprehensive. If he does not act, then Yamaguchi will go through the front doors, disappear into the house and nothing will have changed. They will go through the same school routine tomorrow--sharing lunch in the schoolyard, stopping by the vending machines on their way to class, walking to the gym after sixth period, studying for their next math exam at Kei’s house. 

But if he _does_ act, what then?

Kei’s arm moves involuntarily from his sides, and he doesn’t realize it before he’s pulling Yamaguchi close, wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist and pulling him into a hug. Yamaguchi catches on, and loops his arms around Kei, fingers threading into the fabric of his shirt. 

“Thanks for everything, Yamaguchi.” Kei says, softly, nose wedged against the collar of Yamaguchi’s jacket. 

Yamaguchi offers a muffled “Tsukki!” into Kei’s shoulder. 

On the walk back home, Kei doesn’t notice the spots of wetness on his shoulder where Yamaguchi had pressed his face against him. He doesn’t notice that the knot in his stomach is gone, that his hands are no longer clenching tightly, that his footsteps feel lighter than ever. He doesn’t notice the overwhelming emotion welling up into his eyes. 

He doesn’t notice that he is crying too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! idk if anyone is actually reading this but thanks for checking out the fic! This was so much fun to write and I hope it was enjoyable for you to read! I also did not plan the whole thing through so yeah thanks for sticking through my incoherent mess of a story lmao
> 
> Also thanks to ao3 user fishybpp for being super encouraging and listening to my tskym ramblings. I'm pretty sure she's the only person that reads these lol
> 
> p.s. if anyone wants to follow me on twitter/tumblr my username is @tofunydraws (i mostly just post art there)


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